Centric switch means



July 22, 1952 D. c. SHAPIRO CENTRIC SWITCH MEANS 2 Sl-lEETS-Si-EET 1 Filed March 31 1950 &2 mp

July 22, 1952 D. c. SHAPIRO CENTRIC SWITCH MEANS Filed March 51, 1950 Patented July 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CEN'TRIC' SWITCH MEANS David 0. Shapiro, West sprmgfiem, Mass.

Application March 31, 1950, Serial N. 153,159

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in dental instruments, and more particularly to an apparatus for indicating a correct bite of a dental patient in making an impression on bite-taking material in fitting the patient with artificial teeth.

My prior Patent 2,543,512 issued February 27, 1951, shows a device adapted to be used for the same purpose.

' A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved device for establishing correct centric, namely, to establish the correct relation of the jaws to function with artificial teeth, said device being simple in construction, providing an accurate indication when the patients bite is properly centered, and providing a positive means of determining when correct centrio has been attained by a patient making an impression on bite-blocks or other bite-taking material.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved centric indicator for determining theattainment of a properly centered bite by a patient making an impression on bite-taking material, said device involving only a few parts, operating in response to the flexing of the templar muscles of the patient, whereby a properly'centered bite gives a positive indication, being pr0-' vided with means for indicating both to the dentist andthe patient when a properly centered bite has been attained, and serving to eliminate guesswork and reduce the amount of time required, as well as the cost involved, in obtaining a correct impression of the patients bite.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will'become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, showing an apparatus according to the invention worn by a patient in position for indicating the attaimnent of correct centric in making a bite impression;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the apparatus worn by the patient in Figure 1, said apparatus being in accordance with the present invention;

Figures is an enlarged elevational detail view of one of the temple-engaging elements of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2; I v

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a schematic circuit wiring diagram of theelectrical circuit of the apparatus disclosed ofa modified form of apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure'l' is a schematic circuit wiring diagram of another modified form of apparatus according to this invention;

Referring to the drawingsand more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, H designates a head band of suitable flexible spring material, said headband being provided at its ends with brackets l2, I2 secured thereto, androtatably and slid ably extending through the arms [3, l3 of said brackets are the rod elements H. Secured'to the ends of the rod elements are the resilient yoke members 15, and pivoted to the ends of the re-' silient yoke members are'the generally U-shaped, temple-engaging members [6, l6. Designated at H, I! are respective micro' switches which are slidably mounted between the arms of the U-shaped members 16, said arms being providedwith guide ribs l8 above and below the side corner portions of the micro-switches I! to guide the micro-switches for inward and outward adjustmentsin the U-shapedmemb'erslfi. Desig-. nat'edat 19 are coil springs positioned between the inside surfaces of the micro-switches l1 and the adjacent inner wall surfaces of the members it, as shown in Figure 4. The springs l9, l9 exert a biasing force on the micro-switches, biasing said micro-switches outwardly. Secured transversely to the outer end portions of the arms of the members 16 are the bar elements 20, and threaded through said bar elements are the screw members 21 rotatably secured at their inner ends to pressure plates 22 which; are received in correspondingly-shaped recesses 23 inv the microswitches 11. switches outwardly against the pressure plates 22, and the position of the micro-switches may be adjusted by rotatingthe' screw members 2|.

Each micro-switch I1 is provided with a plunger? 24 for operating same, said plunger being surrounded by a sleeve element 25 carried by the micro-switch, and the" sleeve element projecting:

is an electrical iamp'zi; said lamp projecting downwardly when the apparatus is worn in the manner of Figure 1, and mounted on the intermediate portion of the headband II is an additional lamp 28 carried on a bracket 29 clamped to the headband. The respective lamps 21, 2'! and The springs l9, l9 bias the micro 28 are connected in series, as by the flexible insulated wires 30, 3!, 32, 33, 34 and 35, with the micro-switches I1, I! and a suitable battery 36, as shown in Figure 5.

The battery 36 may either be mounted on the device so as to be carried thereby, or may be located in any convenient adjacent position.

In operation, the device is mounted on the patients head in the manner shown in Figure 1, with the members l6, l6 engaging the patients temples, and the headband portion H overlying the patients forehead. In this position, the lamp 28 is in view of the patient, and the side lamps 21, 2! are in view of the dentist from either side of the patient. The device operates from the flexing of the templar muscles. When a patients jaw is in proper centric position, the templar muscles, one on each side of the forehead, are expanded. The temple-engaging members l6, I6 which house the micro-switches I1, I! are in contact with said muscles, and the plunger elements 24 of the switches are both urged inwardly simultaneously to close the microswitches H, H when a proper bite has been attained. Before the patient attempts to attain a proper bite, the positions of the micro-switches I1, I! are adjusted by means of the screw members 2i until the lamps 21, 2'! and 28 are just illuminated. Then, the screw members 2| are reversed until the lamps just become extinguished. The device is now ready for operation; When the patient establishes a proper centric or bite," the flexing of the patients templar muscles will close the micro-switches ll, ll and cause the lamps 21, 21 and 28 to become energized,

The purpose of the center lamp 28 is to provide an indication to the patient when he has attained a proper bite. The patient is told to bite until this center. lamp 28 becomes illuminated. The dentist can do other work while the patient is taking his or her bite. I

By the use of the above device, guesswork is eliminated entirely. in the operation of obtaining,

a proper dental impression, and insures the dentist against rechecking and refitting of teeth, reducing his costs, and saving time for the dentist, the patient and the dental laboratory.

The device may be operated either with alternating current, direct current, or by the battery illustrated in the drawings. Y

Figure 6 illustrates a modified form of the invention, wherein the lamps 21 may be energized independently of each other and of the lamp 28. In Figure 6, the micro-switches ll, I1 carried by the temple-engaging members are double-pole, single-throw switches, each having the respective poles 3'! and 38. Each of the side lamps 2l.is connected to the battery 36 in series with a pole 31 of the associated micro-switch H. The center lamp 28 is connected to the battery 36 in series with the poles 38.0f both micro-switches H, as

shown. Therefore, either of the lamps 21 may,

become energized by theclosure of the microswitch IT on the side of the apparatus at which the lamp is located. When a properly centered bite is achieved, both lamps 21 and the center lamp 28 become energized simultaneously.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the battery 36 may be replaced by any suitable current source, as by the secondary of a step-down transformer whose primary is connected to the alternating current power lines, or by an external power source.

While certain specific embodiments of dental apparatus for establishing the correct bite of a dental patient in making an impression on bitetaking material have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for establishing correct bite of a dental patient in making an impression on bite-taking material, a head band adapted to fit over the patients head, respective temple-engaging members secured to therespective ends of the head band, respective micro-switches slidably mounted in the temple-engaging members for inward and outward movement in said temple-engaging members, each micro-switch having an actuating plunger extending inwardly through its associated temple-engaging member and being arranged to actuate the micro-switch responsive to the flexing of the patients templar muscles, spring means biasing the micro-switches outwardly, and respective abutment members threadedly engaged on the temple-engaging members and bearing directly against the microswitches to restrain said micro-switches against outward movement whereb the positions of the micro-switches in the temple-engaging members may be adjusted by adjusting the abutment members.

2. In an apparatus for establishing correct bite of a dental patient in making an impression OrrbitQ-tFrkiIlg material, a head band adapted to fit over the patients head, respective templeengaging members secured to the respective ends of the head band, respective micro-switches slidably mounted in the temple-engaging members forinward and outward movement in said temple-engaging members, each micro-switch having an actuating plunger extending inwardly through its associated temple-engaging member and being arranged to actuate the micro-switch responsive to the flexing of the patients templar muscles, spring meansbiasing the micro-switches outwardly, and respective abutment members adjustably secured in the temple-engaging members and bearing directly against the outwardly facing portions of the micro-switches to restrain said micro-switches against outward movement whereby the positions of the micro-switches in the temple-engaging members may be adjusted by adjusting the abutment members.

3. In an apparatus for establishing correct bite of a dental patient in making an impression on bite-taking material, a head band adapted to fit over the patients head, respective, generally U-shaped temple-engaging members secured to the respective ends of the head band, respective micro-switches slidably mounted in the templeengaging members for inward and outward movement in said temple-engaging members, each micro-switch having an actuating plunger extending inwardly through the bight portion of its associated temple-engaging member and being arranged to actuate the micro-switch responsive to inward movement thereof produced ing members may be adjusted by adjusting the screws.

DAVID C. SHAPIRO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,205,775 Hencz June 25, 1940 2,411,194 De Rome Nov. 19, 1946 

